With everything else going on on this past frantic May weekend,
it was a nice surprise to find participants for this year's weekend trip. Sue
Killeen, Sam Perloff and Chuck Hetzel
lasted the whole course and so qualified to get their money back (good job it
was free, sort of), and Alison Ellicott
and Bob Horton joined us for the
first day. I think records were set - I'd need to check, but I'm under (my own)
pressure to put this out now - leaving the Hook with 116 species, a total of
156 for the weekend in which there was no migrant fall-out (where we were, anyway).

With a Helen's sausage and egg under our belts Friday morning we were under
orders that we couldn't leave Bombay Hook for lunch at Sambo's in Leipsic unless
we had at least 80 spp. Well, 5 hours later we sat down to crabcake sandwiches
with 116 species. No great surprises except the final total, but Snow Goose,
Ruddy Duck, Harrier, Pheasant, Coot, 2 Screech-Owls, Savannah and White-throated
Sparrows were not seen much after this. Blue Grosbeaks far outnumbered Indigo
Buntings. Bugs were a nuisance in the still air - not skeeters or greenheads,
but tiny biting midges. After lunch, Port Mahon gave a ton of Turnstones and
some Horseshoeing around then on to Ted Harvey for Bobwhite, Avocet, a young
Bonaparte's Gull, Least Tern and Skimmer. With a bit of time before going into
deepest, darkest southern DE, we opted for Mispillion and were delighted to
find a reception at the new Dupont Nature Center (officially to be opened on
May 23) where we were able to set up scopes from a super balcony and see Oystercatchers
and more Red Knot than I've seen in DE for some time. Over 200. Do find time
to visit this new Center; it is one of the best birding locations for migratory
shorebirds in the Delaware Bay. Our one-day participants headed north and the
four weekenders headed southwest for a Mexican dinner in Seaford and then to
motels and Trap Pond campground. A great day.

Next morning, we investigated a new venue for early breakfast - Britt's Dutch
on Central Av in Laurel. Highly recommended, not just for opening at 6am, but
for the Quarterback's Breakfast at $6 and great service. Awesome. Thence to
Phillips Landing on the Nanticoke River and the walk through the woods to the
river, one of the most delightfully peaceful spots in the state (when the speedboats
aren't there). Peaceful was the word - not a lot of migrant action in comparison
with what was going on in coastal locations (as I found out later) - but Prothonotary,
Yellow-throated, Prairie wobblers were obliging, Red-shouldered Hawks good value
and a pair of active Otters in the river a real bonus. The detour for Vesper
Sparrow was highly successful - we couldn't stop the damn bird singing. Then
over the always intriguing free Woodland ferry across the Nanticoke River to
Chapel Branch (Turkey on the way) and the songs of Acadian Flycatcher and Scarlet
Tanager penetrating with the hum of the nylon works as background. Lunch at
The Pit, OK BBQ. Afternoon at Trussom Pond. Super to see the Bald Cypress leafing
out, even better the redneck and kids fishing and their pickup truck registered
for farm use only. He told us about the local, huge (fisherman's arms stretch)
eagle. A Kestrel was on wires twixt this and Trap Pond, which had very viewable
Summer Tanagers. After adjourning to the campground for happy hour, we tried
the region's most popular crabhouse in Delmar but, put off by the 90 minute
wait, we headed for Salisbury and found a very pleasant, quiet Vietnamese restaurant
with very fast service. Afterwards, a campfire was lit, maintained by the pyromaniac
amongst us, and we enjoyed (?) a country band and some wee refreshments. A midnight
T-storm swamped one tent (mine) and I had to spend an uncomfortable few hours
in the back of my car. Not a first, I might add.

Sunday saw us back for breakfast at Britts, then into the Pocomoke proper. The
Kentucky Warbler showed early, but the star was an inquisitive Barred Owl, with
which Chuck formed a bond which we thought could not be broken, culminating
in us having to leave with the owl bemoaning his disappointment. We parked at
the Sussex Eye doctors in Selbyville to try for the Collared-Dove. In 30 seconds
the bird flew over our heads, landed on a pole and started to sing. Picking
up an early lunch 'to go' at the excellent Em-Ings BBQ in Selbyville, we motored
to Assawoman WMA, en route getting a small band of Bobolinks, where Common Loon,
Spotted Sandpiper, Blue-winged Teal and a Northern Waterthrush were added to
the list. A cool northerly wind chilled the meal, but the blood was warmed by
the sight of three BHNuts by the pavilion at Sassafras Landing. Indian River
Inlet was barren but, rather bizarrely, three Baltimore Orioles flying over
were the first of the trip. Cape Henlopen had two Piping Plovers, Red-breasted
Merganser and a bunch of curious people. They really should take up birding,
life seems so boring otherwise.